Carbon dioxide fluxes reflect plant zonation and belowground biomass in a coastal marsh
Abstract Coastal wetlands are major global carbon sinks; however, they are heterogeneous and dynamic ecosystems. To characterize spatial and temporal variability in a New England salt marsh, greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes were compared among major plant‐defined zones during growing seasons. Carbon diox...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2016-11-01
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| Series: | Ecosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1560 |
| _version_ | 1818557358395097088 |
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| author | Serena Moseman‐Valtierra Omar I. Abdul‐Aziz Jianwu Tang Khandker S. Ishtiaq Kate Morkeski Jordan Mora Ryan K. Quinn Rose M. Martin Katharine Egan Elizabeth Q. Brannon Joanna Carey Kevin D. Kroeger |
| author_facet | Serena Moseman‐Valtierra Omar I. Abdul‐Aziz Jianwu Tang Khandker S. Ishtiaq Kate Morkeski Jordan Mora Ryan K. Quinn Rose M. Martin Katharine Egan Elizabeth Q. Brannon Joanna Carey Kevin D. Kroeger |
| author_sort | Serena Moseman‐Valtierra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Coastal wetlands are major global carbon sinks; however, they are heterogeneous and dynamic ecosystems. To characterize spatial and temporal variability in a New England salt marsh, greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes were compared among major plant‐defined zones during growing seasons. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes were compared in two mensurative experiments during summer months (2012–2014) that included low marsh (Spartina alterniflora), high marsh (Distichlis spicata and Juncus gerardii‐dominated), invasive Phragmites australis zones, and unvegetated ponds. Day‐ and nighttime fluxes were also contrasted in the native marsh zones. N2O fluxes were measured in parallel with CO2 and CH4 fluxes, but were not found to be significant. To test the relationships of CO2 and CH4 fluxes with several native plant metrics, a multivariate nonlinear model was used. Invasive P. australis zones (−7 to −15 μmol CO2·m−2·s−1) and S. alterniflora low marsh zones (up to −14 μmol CO2·m−2·s−1) displayed highest average CO2 uptake rates, while those in the native high marsh zone (less than −2 μmol CO2·m−2·s−1) were much lower. Unvegetated ponds were typically small sources of CO2 to the atmosphere (<0.5 μmol CO2·m−2·s−1). Nighttime emissions of CO2 averaged only 35% of daytime uptake in the low marsh zone, but they exceeded daytime CO2 uptake by up to threefold in the native high marsh zone. Based on modeling, belowground biomass was the plant metric most strongly correlated with CO2 fluxes in native marsh zones, while none of the plant variables correlated significantly with CH4 fluxes. Methane fluxes did not vary between day and night and did not significantly offset CO2 uptake in any vegetated marsh zones based on sustained global warming potential calculations. These findings suggest that attention to spatial zonation as well as expanded measurements and modeling of GHG emissions across greater temporal scales will help to improve accuracy of carbon accounting in coastal marshes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T23:58:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3b1e5cf7ed69482fb0c7a613da949ffd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2150-8925 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T23:58:27Z |
| publishDate | 2016-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-3b1e5cf7ed69482fb0c7a613da949ffd2022-12-21T23:26:27ZengWileyEcosphere2150-89252016-11-01711n/an/a10.1002/ecs2.1560Carbon dioxide fluxes reflect plant zonation and belowground biomass in a coastal marshSerena Moseman‐Valtierra0Omar I. Abdul‐Aziz1Jianwu Tang2Khandker S. Ishtiaq3Kate Morkeski4Jordan Mora5Ryan K. Quinn6Rose M. Martin7Katharine Egan8Elizabeth Q. Brannon9Joanna Carey10Kevin D. Kroeger11Department of Biological Sciences University of Rhode Island 120 Flagg Road Kingston Rhode Island 02881 USADepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering West Virginia University PO Box 6103 Morgantown West Virginia 26506 USAThe Ecosystems Center Marine Biological Laboratory 7 MBL Street Woods Hole Massachusetts 02543 USADepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering West Virginia University PO Box 6103 Morgantown West Virginia 26506 USAThe Ecosystems Center Marine Biological Laboratory 7 MBL Street Woods Hole Massachusetts 02543 USAWaquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve 131 Waquoit Highway Waquoit Massachusetts 02536 USADepartment of Biological Sciences University of Rhode Island 120 Flagg Road Kingston Rhode Island 02881 USADepartment of Biological Sciences University of Rhode Island 120 Flagg Road Kingston Rhode Island 02881 USADepartment of Biological Sciences University of Rhode Island 120 Flagg Road Kingston Rhode Island 02881 USADepartment of Biological Sciences University of Rhode Island 120 Flagg Road Kingston Rhode Island 02881 USAThe Ecosystems Center Marine Biological Laboratory 7 MBL Street Woods Hole Massachusetts 02543 USACoastal and Marine Science Center U.S. Geological Survey 384 Woods Hole Road Woods Hole Massachusetts 02543 USAAbstract Coastal wetlands are major global carbon sinks; however, they are heterogeneous and dynamic ecosystems. To characterize spatial and temporal variability in a New England salt marsh, greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes were compared among major plant‐defined zones during growing seasons. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes were compared in two mensurative experiments during summer months (2012–2014) that included low marsh (Spartina alterniflora), high marsh (Distichlis spicata and Juncus gerardii‐dominated), invasive Phragmites australis zones, and unvegetated ponds. Day‐ and nighttime fluxes were also contrasted in the native marsh zones. N2O fluxes were measured in parallel with CO2 and CH4 fluxes, but were not found to be significant. To test the relationships of CO2 and CH4 fluxes with several native plant metrics, a multivariate nonlinear model was used. Invasive P. australis zones (−7 to −15 μmol CO2·m−2·s−1) and S. alterniflora low marsh zones (up to −14 μmol CO2·m−2·s−1) displayed highest average CO2 uptake rates, while those in the native high marsh zone (less than −2 μmol CO2·m−2·s−1) were much lower. Unvegetated ponds were typically small sources of CO2 to the atmosphere (<0.5 μmol CO2·m−2·s−1). Nighttime emissions of CO2 averaged only 35% of daytime uptake in the low marsh zone, but they exceeded daytime CO2 uptake by up to threefold in the native high marsh zone. Based on modeling, belowground biomass was the plant metric most strongly correlated with CO2 fluxes in native marsh zones, while none of the plant variables correlated significantly with CH4 fluxes. Methane fluxes did not vary between day and night and did not significantly offset CO2 uptake in any vegetated marsh zones based on sustained global warming potential calculations. These findings suggest that attention to spatial zonation as well as expanded measurements and modeling of GHG emissions across greater temporal scales will help to improve accuracy of carbon accounting in coastal marshes.https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1560biological invasionblue carbonemissionsglobal climate changesJuncus gerardiimethane |
| spellingShingle | Serena Moseman‐Valtierra Omar I. Abdul‐Aziz Jianwu Tang Khandker S. Ishtiaq Kate Morkeski Jordan Mora Ryan K. Quinn Rose M. Martin Katharine Egan Elizabeth Q. Brannon Joanna Carey Kevin D. Kroeger Carbon dioxide fluxes reflect plant zonation and belowground biomass in a coastal marsh Ecosphere biological invasion blue carbon emissions global climate changes Juncus gerardii methane |
| title | Carbon dioxide fluxes reflect plant zonation and belowground biomass in a coastal marsh |
| title_full | Carbon dioxide fluxes reflect plant zonation and belowground biomass in a coastal marsh |
| title_fullStr | Carbon dioxide fluxes reflect plant zonation and belowground biomass in a coastal marsh |
| title_full_unstemmed | Carbon dioxide fluxes reflect plant zonation and belowground biomass in a coastal marsh |
| title_short | Carbon dioxide fluxes reflect plant zonation and belowground biomass in a coastal marsh |
| title_sort | carbon dioxide fluxes reflect plant zonation and belowground biomass in a coastal marsh |
| topic | biological invasion blue carbon emissions global climate changes Juncus gerardii methane |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1560 |
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